To an untrained eye, pizza

sauce and marinara sauce

may seem similar, but they’re

pretty different and were each designed with a specific purpose that should be paid attention to.

Pizza sauce is made of pureed tomatoes and tomato paste, whereas marinara sauce is made of blended tomatoes. While still thick, Marinara sauce is a bit thinner than pizza sauce.

Pizza sauce is designed only

for pizza, while marinara sauce’s texture makes it ideal as a topping on cheesesteaks or meatball subs and as a dip for mozzarella sticks or stromboli.

Unlike other tomato sauces, including marinara sauce and pasta sauce, pizza sauce often uses uncooked tomatoes because the tomatoes in the sauce are cooked along with the pizza.

Pizza sauce is around 88% water. Pizza sauce’s water content and thickness make it ideal for spreading on pizza, as these features help keep the pizza crust from getting soggy.

On the contrary, marinara sauce is made of cooked, blended tomatoes and is around 96% water. The blended tomatoes result in a sauce that doesn't get quite as smooth as pizza sauce.

Both sauces often include additional ingredients. Pizza sauces commonly contain oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and marinara sauces often include oregano, basil, garlic, and onions.